9 Sep 2013

A weekend by the river (1)

The weekend before this last one was an opportunity to spend time by the River Thames on two stretches of that beautiful river. On the Saturday afternoon we were in Kingston-upon-Thames to see a company from the National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT) performing a new musical interpretation of Charles Dicken's Great Expectations and our twelve-year-old grandson was involved as one of the main characters. Kingston-on-Thames is an interesting Royal London Borough with the road bridge taking traffic over to the Hampton Court Park area across on the other bank of the river. Once there were only a few crossing places with a bridge over the river, but Kingston had one as it was an important Saxon settlement. I was interested to learn that many 10th century kings were crowned there including King Athelstan. Recently I read a novel set in Tudor times that includes a mystery and legend about his lost crown (The Crown - Nancy Bilyeau) and watched a documentary about him so I was intrigued to learn about the Kingston connection. The area is certainly an interesting one and maybe one day I shall return and explore further?

Across on the other bank is Hampton Court Park and a small tributary of the River Thames, the River Hogsmill meanders through Kingston and flows out into surrounding areas. There are cafes, bars, restaurants, and smart apartments along the Charter Quay.

The Rose Theatre is to the extreme right

The River Hogsmill flows under the 13th century Clatten Bridge (Claterynbrugge)

This last photo was taken after the performance which we had very much enjoyed.

the builings are wonderful to see. and i love all those swans at the sea wall. my two favorite photos are the two with the two swans sailing up the water way...we don't have wild swans here, we can only see the ones they have in gardens...

Sounds like a couple of great family events along the river. Can't wait to hear about the 2nd one.... Bet Great Expectations was EXCELLENT... So glad you went. That is a gorgeous area. Did you stay down there for the night ---or go back and forth? How far is it from your home?

Ah your photos bring back some happy memories Linda. My husband lived in Weybridge when we met 44 years ago and a lot of our 'courting' took place in the Kingston, Hampton Court, Richmond areas where we'd visit often on his scooter with me riding pillion on the back. Those were the days. Lovely photos.Patricia x

About Me

When we retired my husband and I moved to Yorkshire. We also spend time in the Italian village where my husband grew up. Writing about our life and recording it through photography has become an interesting leisure activity.